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Press Release

BRC CALLS FOR OPEN, COMPETITIVE ENERGY MARKETS

7 September 2005

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) welcomes EU Energy Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs’ "five-point plan" to counter rising oil prices.

With the devastating impact of Hurricane Katrina still to be assessed and the huge upsurge in world demand, especially from China, there is every indication that oil prices are set to rise further.

BRC Director General, Kevin Hawkins, says: “We welcome this commitment by the Commissioner to counter rising oil prices as retailers are currently faced with increasing gas and electricity bills of up to 50 percent.”

“However, while yesterday’s announcement will go some way towards tackling high energy prices, we are disappointed that the Commission has failed to recognise that one factor contributing to high energy prices is the protectionist policies of some EU Member States.”

The failure to drive forward energy deregulation across Europe is resulting in higher energy costs for UK businesses the BRC urges the British Government to take advantage of the UK Presidency to ensure open and competitive energy markets in Europe.



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British Retail Consortium

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